Electrical connecter



April 12; 1938. DD 2,113,792

ELECTRICAL CONNECTER Filed April 19, 1957 Patented Apr. 12, 1938 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONNECTER Lester L. Ladd, Lockport, Ill., asslgnor to George D. Ladd, Lockport, Ill.

Application April 19,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to plug connecters of the female type such as are used on the appliance end of an electrical conductor cord.

Female plug connecters usually comprise an insulator body enclosing one or more metal terminals of the socket type to which the conductors are electrically connected by solder, screws or other suitable means. The socket terminal heretofore in general use consisted of a pair of resilient fingers separated from each other along both side edges and adapted to embrace the terminal pin which, upon entry into the socket, separated the fingers equally at both side edges.

Such socket terminals have not been entirely satisfactory because, after much use, the fingers lose some of their resiliency and do not tightly embrace the terminal pins.

The main objects of this invention are toprovide a plug connecter having an improved form of socket terminal which will firmly grip the contact pin and which will not lose its efiectiveness through long use; and to provide an improved plug connecter of this kind which is durable and inexpensive.

Illustrative embodiments'of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is an axial section, partly in elevation, of a connecter plug to which this invention is applied.

Figure 2 is a section, partly in elevation, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective of the two socket terminals shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse section of one of the terminals, taken on the line fld of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing a pair of terminal pins inserted into the sockets.

Figure 7 is a perspective of a modified form of socket terminal.

Figure 8, is a transverse section taken on the line 88 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 but showing a terminal pin inserted into the socket.

In the form shown, the improved connecter includes an insulator body or grip l which comprises a pair of complementary sections 2 of substantially identical construction which may be riveted or otherwise secured together.

Formed in one end of the body, is an opening 3 for seating one end of an axially flexible protector spring 4 through which extends the cord 5 with its conductors 6. If desired, a strain re- 1937, Serial N0. 137,724

lief I, such as shown in my copending application Serial No. 136,158, filed April 10, 1937, may be applied to the cord.

The opposed faces of the body parts 2 are recessed to form a pair of channels 8 in which are seated a pair of improved terminal members 9 of the socket or female type adapted to receive the terminal pins ID of the appliance (not shown).

The terminal members 9 are preferably of identical construction. Each may be a metal stamping formed of a single resilient strap or band which is doubled upon itself and then 011'- set as shown at H to form a pair of complementary socket sections l2 having connecting shanks l3 which are warped or twisted, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 so as to subject the member to a turning moment which urges the outer edges M of the socket sections toward each other, thereby contracting the socket as shown in Fig. 5.

Formed on the inner side edges E5 of the socket sections, are opposed extension lugs it which are seated in recesses ll formed in the insulator body sections. These recesses H are sufflciently shallow so that the side walls of the groove formed by the recesses I! serve to clamp the lugs IE to limit the spreading of the edges l5 of the socket sections, which is due to the stresses caused by the twisting of the shanks l3 and, in assembling the plug, the two body sections 2 force the lugs l6 toward each other and confine them against the transverse stresses of the shanks.

Each of the terminal members 9 may be provided with a screw it for attachment to its conductor t.

Figures 7, 8, and 9 show a modified form of socket terminal l9 which is identical in construction and operation with the terminal 9 except that, in place of the lugs 56, one of the socket sections has a lug 20 which is bent so as to overlap the adjacent edge of the opposed section for limiting the expansion of the socket along one edge while permitting expansion along its opposite edge.

In operation, when the improved connecter is not in use, the two socket terminals are contracted as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5 and in the modified form in Fig. 8. When the male terminal pins are inserted into the sockets, the unobstructed edges I are spread apart so as to expand the sockets against the stresses caused by the twisting of the shanks.

With this improved construction, the male terminal pins are always tightly gripped by the resilient socket terminals and the socket terminals do not have a tendency to become ineffective through long continued use.

Although but certain specific embodiments of this invention have been herein shown and described, it will be understood that details of the constructions shown may be altered without dcparting from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an electrical connecter,- a female terminal comprising a longitudinally split socket member of resilient metal for receiving a terminal pin, at least one of the two pin-receiving sections of said socket member having a permanently warped shank by which one of two opposed edges of said sections is stressed toward the other and one of the other two opposed edges is stressed away from a the other, and means for limiting the separating movement of said other two opposed edges.

2. In an electrical connecter, a female terminal comprising a longitudinally split socket member of resilient metal for receiving. a terminal pin, the two pin-receiving sections of said socket member having oppositely warped shanks by which two opposed edges of said sections are stressed toward each other and the other two opposed edges are stressed away from each other, and means for limiting the separating movement of said last named edges.

3. In an electrical connecter, a female terminal formed of a resilient strap doubled upon itself and comprising a pair of opposed pin-receiving sections having oppositely warped shanks by which two opposed edges of said sections are stressed substantially into contact with each other and the other two opposed edges are stressed away from each other, a loop integrally connecting said shanks, and means for limiting the separating movement of said last named edges.

4. In an electrical connecter, 'a female terminal comprising a longitudinally split socket member of resilient metal for receiving a terminal pin, the two pin-receiving sections of said socket member having oppositely warped shanks by which two opposed edges of said sections are stressed toward each other and the other two opposed edges are stressed away from each other, in combination with an insulator body having a chamber housing said terminal, said chamber having a groove in a wall thereof laterally confining said last named edges and limiting the separating movement thereof.

5. In an electrical connecter, a female terminal comprising a longitudinally split socket member of resilient metal for receiving a terminal pin, the two pin-receiving sections of said socket member having oppositely warped shanks by which two opposed edges of said sections are stressed toward each other and the other two opposed edges are stressed away from each other. said last named edges being formed with opposed extension lugs, in combination with an insulator body having a chamber housing said terminal, said chamber having a groove in a wall thereof receiving said extension lugs and limiting the separating movement of said last named edges,

6. In an electrical connecter, a female terminal comprising a longitudinally split socket member of resilient metal for receiving a terminal pin, the two pin-receiving sections of said socket member having oppositely warped shanks by which two opposed edges of said sections are stressed toward each other and the other two pposed edges are stressed away from each other, one of said last named edges having a laterally extending lug formed with a portion overlapping the other of said last named edges and limiting the spreading movement of said last named edges.

LESTER L. LADD. 

